Rotary optical connector

Abstract

A rotary optical connector comprises a light-emitting transmitter and a light receiver supported for relative rotation about a common axis. The emitter and receiver are coupled by a reflecting surface rotatable about the same axis in fixed relation to the receiver. The reflecting surface may be of regular prismatic configuration, in which case a set of parallel-connected receivers is employed, with a respective receiver corresponding to each side of the prismatic surface.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A rotary optical connector comprising light-emitting transmitter means and light-receiving means supported for relative rotation about a common axis, said transmitter means being directed for emitting light toward said axis and located at a greater distance from said axis than said receiving means, and reflector means supported inward of said receiver means relative to said axis for rotation about said axis in fixed relation to said receiver means, said reflector means being oriented for reflecting the light emitted toward said axis by said transmitter means to said receiver means during rotation of said transmitter means relative to said receiver means. 
     
     
       2. A connector in accordance with claim 1, wherein said transmitter means and said receiver means are supported for rotation in a plane perpendicular to said axis, said transmitter means being directed radially inward of said axis. 
     
     
       3. A connector in accordance with claim 2, wherein said reflector means comprises a reflecting surface of regular prismatic configuration, with its axis coincident with the first-mentioned axis, and wherein said receiver means comprises a plurality of parallel-connected light receivers, with each of said receivers being located on a line perpendicular to the first-mentioned axis and to a respective corresponding side of said reflecting surface. 
     
     
       4. A connector in accordance with claim 3, wherein said transmitting means is supported by ring means, wherein said reflecting surface and said receivers are supported by cylinder means coaxially disposed within said ring means, said ring means and said cylinder means being supported for relative rotation about their common axis, and wherein said reflecting surface is surrounded by transparent material. 
     
     
       5. A connector in accordance with claim 4 mounted upon one or more similar connectors, with the respective cylinder means of said connectors being stacked one upon another and corresponding transmitter means being mounted about the respective cylinder means co-planar with its associated receivers. 
     
     
       6. A connector in accordance with claim 3, wherein said transmitting means comprises a pair of light-emitting transmitters connected in parallel, said transmitters being directed radially inward of the first-mentioned axis and spaced from one another at a distance whereby light from at least one of said transmitters is reflected to one of said receivers regardless of the relative rotational positions of said transmitters and said receivers. 
     
     
       7. A rotary optical connector comprising a ring, a cylinder coaxially disposed within said ring and a light-emitting transmitter mounted upon said ring for directing light radially inward of said cylinder, said cylinder and said ring being supported for relative rotation about their common axis, said cylinder including an internal coaxial reflecting surface of regular prismatic configuration surrounded by transparent material and positioned for impingement on its sides of the radially directed light from said transmitter, said cylinder further including a plurality of parallel-connected light receivers located in a common plane with said transmitter and corresponding respectively to the sides of said reflecting surface, with each receiver facing said axis and lying along a line passing perpendicularly through said axis and the corresponding side of said reflecting surface for receiving light emitted by said transmitter and reflected by said corresponding side. 
     
     
       8. A connector in accordance with claim 7, wherein said reflecting surface has three sides. 
     
     
       9. A connector in accordance with claim 7, further comprising an additional light-emitting transmitter connected in parallel with the first-mentioned transmitter and mounted upon said ring at the same distance from said axis, said additional transmitter being directed radially inward of said cylinder and spaced laterally from the first-mentioned transmitter, whereby the radially directed light from at least one of said transmitters is reflected to one of said receivers regardless of the relative rotational positions of said ring and said cylinder. 
     
     
       10. A connector in accordance with claim 7 mounted upon one or more similar connectors, with the cylinders of the connectors being stacked one upon another and corresponding transmitters being mounted about each cylinder co-planar with its associated receivers.